Small- Scale Additive Manufacturing: How 3D Printing Innovations Could Be Impacting Polymer Pollution

Abstract

There is no doubt that additive manufacturing (AM) is changing the global technological landscape for the better. Crucial medical supplies, construction tools, and equipment can be printed quickly and easily to help in humanitarian crises like natural disasters. In China in 2014 an architectural company called Win Sun was able to print multiple houses in one day, speaking to AM’s potential for disaster relief (Rett et al., 2021). Many plastic polymers can be recycled and used to make new plastic products. Industrial additive manufacturing waste is easier to track, handle, and reprocess than small-scale waste. Beyond industry, 3D printing as a hobby is on the rise and recent innovations in biocompatible materials have paved the way for AM in healthcare. Unfortunately, there is an existing knowledge gap on the effects of 3D printing waste and the environment. In 2013, 3D printing was named one of the 12 most disruptive technologies that will impact the global economy by 2025 by the research firm McKinsey Global Institute. We must be proactive in defining proper waste protocols for additive manufacturing in personal and healthcare settings to avoid potentially irreversible damage to ecosystems. This paper will provide a review of polymers, waste management issues, 3D printing technology, and unregulated 3D printing waste at the non-industrial level. Special attention is given to the field of dentistry and orthodontics. Mitigation strategies are presented along with theoretical frameworks to offset the polymer pollution these fields are generating.